at we live again somewhere else? Oh! I could
never bear that ignominy."

"I don't know about living somewhere else," I said, "although my
opinions on that matter differ from yours. But I do know that you and
I are still on earth in what remains of the saloon of the Star of the
South."

"Thank God for that! Let's go and look for old Bastin," said Bickley. "I
do pray that he is all right also."

"It is most illogical of you, Bickley, and indeed wrong," groaned a deep
voice from the other side of the cabin door, "to thank a God in Whom
you do not believe, and to talk of praying for one of the worst and most
inefficient of His servants when you have no faith in prayer."

"Got you there, my friend," I said.

Bickley murmured something about force of habit, and looked smaller than
I had ever seen him do before.

Somehow we forced that door open; it was not easy because it had jammed.
Within the cabin, hanging on either side of the bath towel which had
stood the strain nobly, something like a damp garment over a linen line,
was Bastin most of whose bunk seemed to have disappeared. Yes--Bastin,
pale and dishevelled and looking shrunk, with his hair touzled and his
beard apparently growing all ways, but still Bastin alive, if very weak.

Bickley ran at him and made a cursory examination with his fingers.

"Nothing broken," he said triumphantly. "He's all right."

"If you had hung over a towel for many hours in most violent weather you
would not say that," groaned Bastin. "My inside is a pulp. But perhaps
you would be kind enough to untie me."

"Bosh!" said Bickley as he obeyed. "All you want is something to eat.
Meanwhile, drink this," and he handed him the remains of the whisky.

Bastin swallowed it every drop, murmuring something about taking a
little wine for his stomach's sake, "one of the Pauline injunctions, you
know," after which he was much more cheerful. Then we hunted about and
found some more of the biscuits and other food with which we filled
ourselves after a fashion.

"I wonder what has happened," said Bastin. "I suppose that, thanks to
the skill of the captain, we have after all reached the haven where we
would be."

Here he stopped, rubbed his eyes and looked towards the saloon door
which, as I have said, had been wrenched off its hinges, but appeared
to have opened wider than when I observed it last. Also Tommy, who was
recovering his spirits, uttered a series of low growls.

"It is a most curio